I really wanted to love this story, I really wanted to fall for the characters and I really truly wanted this to be a fresh new M/M read for myself.

Matt and Rhys are the main characters, but they didn’t for me feel like they have any chemistry, their interactions felt stilted and not very realistic to me. It just didn’t work for me.

Oh wow. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

I liked Riven, but it was still a little bit disappointing to me. It kind of dragged on a little too much, and I couldn't connect that much to Theo, the main character. So I was a little apprehensive to read Rend.

I'm so glad I did.

I was completely drawn into this novel through the very emotional scenes. Matt, the main character, is Rhys' husband. Rhys is Caleb's best friend from Riven, and I was so excited when he got his own story. Matt and Rhys have been married for almost two years, when Rhys is about to go on tour for his first solo album.

Matt was a foster child. His mother abandoned him at a very young age. He lived in an all-boys foster care place for many years, and he's struggled all his life with feelings of abandonment and getting close to anyone in case they'd leave him again. I think its safe to say that I love Matt.

When Rhys leaves for his tour, Matt, despite knowing how much Rhys loves him, experiences all those feelings that he hadn't dealt with in years: abandonment, emotional turmoil, wondering if he's even worthy of love. It's heartbreaking to read, but I could connect to Matt so much too.

I absolutely loved the scenes where we are privy to how Matt and Rhys first met and fell in love. I love that they were dating only two months before they married, showing that love at first sight is real and no matter how long you've known someone, love is love.

My favourite kinds of romances are one's with established couples who experience new difficulties in their relationship, which is why I loved Rend so much. I hope Parrish continues writing in this series. I'd love a book about Huey.

I don’t enjoy writing these types of reviews, so I’m going to try and keep it short. Rend was an intriguing and emotional story that I unfortunately and eventually found to be quite exhausting and not in the way I wanted. I really don’t like it when I have to DNF a book…especially a book that a lot of people seem to really love.

I liked the characters and most of the storyline. I thought the writing was achingly beautiful and the romance was sexy. But, I just could not get through the book. I kept on putting it down and on hold. I felt so emotionally tired and it just made me feel so blah. I mean, I do love emotional books… books that can make me cry and FEEL and go through a beautiful mess, but this one just wasn't doing it for me. I guess I wasn’t in the mood for something this heavy. That being said, I still would recommend this book to anyone looking for something incredibly emotional with complicated characters. Also, I didn’t read Riven so maybe if I had I would have been more invested in this book.

In the end, even though I thought this book was interesting, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.. at least for the moment. Maybe I’ll give it another go in the future.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

This is a well done story with believable characters. I particularly liked the links between Rend and Riven.

As I am a healing healer myself, I identified much more with this book than I did with the recovering addict musicians in Parrish's prequel, 'Riven'. And you will be permanently turned on by the nearly BDSM level situations this married couple enjoy.

Matt was abandoned at a young age, spit out without many coping skills as an adult into New York City, all he's ever known. Yet he's made his way as a wounded healer, helping those who are in the same position he was such a short while ago. He's drawn like metal to a magnet by musician Rhys and his effortless joy. But like all humans Rhys has insecurities and they rush into a 'forever' bond.

Despite their mutual desire to make it work, Matt's never been able to imagine himself as a happy and loving 'normal'. Even his best friend from the orphanage left him to live in Florida eventually. Even though they have fabulous sex, he's haunted by fears of sabotaging their marriage and poor at articulating his true feelings, thinking he always has to be pleasant. It takes therapy, a dog, and a stubborn dom husband and his ex-addict musician friends to ease Matt into the happily ever after he can hardly believe is real. But it is. He's part of a family for the first time.

And the moral of the story is, love is all around, no need to waste it.

When Matt meets Rhys, he figures they'll end up doing what he usually does - having a quick one-time thing, then he'll never see him again. Little did he know Rhys would come to mean so much to him, be the light to his dark-filled life.

A few months into dating and the two have fallen fast and hard, and a quick wedding is on the books. But what happens after the wedding when the two actually have to be married? Have to live together? To know each other? And when Matt is left at home when Rhys' job takes him away for awhile? Will Matt's many demons overwhelm him again? Or will he fight them off and realize that he deserves to have the life, the love, that Rhys wants to give him?

First off, I have to say that this author's writing is fantastic! It's deep, flowing and pretty beautiful. However, and this is a small however, Rend, while entirely readable, is verrry heavy and melancholy, depressing at times, just like the depression Matt fights. If Rhys' character weren't such Matt's opposite in his joyful sweetness, I'm not sure I could have gotten through Rend because it's just so heavy. I wouldn't wish Matt's childhood on any living thing, and the scars he bears because of that childhood are pretty horrifying for him, and for the reader. Thankfully Rhys was there to counterbalance Matt.

I haven't read the other story in this series, but after having read, and really liked, Rend, I plan on rectifying that, immediately because Rend is a beautiful, heartbreaking story, so I can only imagine how much I'll enjoy Riven.

I hesitated on five stars because it took me so long to get through the first 25 percent of this book, but goddamn this book. Any less wouldn’t do it justice. I love fluff, but I have absolutely no problem with the fact that I was in tears for half this book. I felt so much reading this, and Roan Parrish just always makes me feel some kind of way. This is a different kind of romance for me - the prologue being their meeting, and then hopping into life after marriage. I was actually afraid from the title that something was going to happen to irrevocably split them up and they’d have to find their way back to each other. (I might read a blurb the first time I decide to read a book, but sometimes enough time goes by that I don’t always remember what it’s really about.) I was also afraid something that was REALLY OBVIOUS to the reader wasn’t going to come up, because it’s happened with other authors I’ve read, but then it did, and I heaved a sigh of relief.

But damn, this book. So good. So intense. Such heart fuzzies. Angst done right.

Rend was to me an emotional rollercoaster. Told into Matt’s POV, raw and gut-wrenching, a man who didn’t believe in love and second chances. In one of his darkest moments, he met someone who was his total opposite, a light to his darkness, joy and peace to his tormented and fractured soul.

No one have ever made him feel this way, and it took one moment for Matt and Rhys to fall hard. They moved forward pretty fast and that’s when things turned to be more complicated. When the honeymoon phase was over, Matt and Rhys’ intense connection was going to be tested. Reading Matt’s distress and loneliness when he was alone, trapped into his head was terribly moving, showing how hard his childhood was, and the consequences of his failed or no string attached relationships. Rhys was so different from Matt, happy and so effortless not to fall in love with. Protective, caring, and fierce, wearing his heart on his sleeve. He felt Matt’s sadness and was immediately attracted by that man who had so much more to offer, a man he couldn’t live without.

Matt needed tons of assurance and Rhys was so oblivious to Matt’s inner pain, so well hidden until the moment it would blow to their faces. Their dynamic fizzled out to the pace of Matt’s inner turmoil, his abandonment issues were just a bit repetitive. I wished some parts happened sooner and I would have been interesting to see how they would have face it. Moreover fostering the illusion about the other was destructive and not to

However I enjoyed the way the author told their story. It felt real and sincere. Talking about relationships with all the good and bad times, when you never give up on the other no matter what. I understood the physical connection and these two could definitely made the readers’ feel how powerful it was, inside and out., it seemed like Matt and Rhys were solving some of their problems with sex when things getting too difficult to handle.

Gah....this was exhausting to read. I know Matt had legitimate issues but I was done with him by the 50% mark. It probably makes me a bad person but I just didn't want to hear anymore about his problems. Dude, you're a counselor for a living. Recognize your own issues and go to therapy. (which he finally does but not until the 85-90% mark when I was way over him).

There was also too much sex. Way too much and I started skipping them all together after the third scene. There was all this heavy relationship drama and their needy, co-dependent "I love you so much I can't live without you's" every 5 minutes and then boom! yet another sex scene. If you ever wondered what the term trauma porn was....well, here you go.

I liked two things about this book. I liked that it was about an established couple having problems. I also liked all the scenes with Theo and Caleb.

This was absolutely not my jam but there a lot of other great reviews so you should probably check those out before making a decision.

**ARC received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Matt and Rhys come from different worlds but are managing to make things work. Matt has to leave to go on tour and Rhys has the old ghosts creeping in while he's gone. Will the couple be able to work things out when Matt gets back from being on tour? A beautiful love story that I enjoyed and recommend.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and am leaving a review.

I didn’t finish the book. I got tired of Matt. He can’t seem to move on from his past or get help. He doesn’t admit when something is wrong or that he needs to talk to someone. I skimmed through most of it and haven’t finished the book. Matt needs a lot of help, more than his husband or friends can give him.
The love scenes were hot and they had chemistry. I felt some stuff was repetitive.

This just about broke me but I loved it.

Rend is the second book in the Riven series but it is also a standalone. Characters from book one, Riven, appear but you won't be lost if you haven't read it.

If you've read any of my reviews, you're probably tired of hearing me say that a book broke me and then put me back together again. Sometimes I just don't know any other way to describe what a book did to me. Rend was such a heartbreaking, emotional read but in a good way.

Matt had a difficult childhood which left him emotionally scarred. Even though he and Rhys have been married for a year or so he just can't believe that it will last – everyone he ever loved left him and he expects that Rhys will, too. Rhys always wanted a close, loving relationship like his parents have and he loves Matt more than he can say – if only he can get Matt to believe that it will last.

It was so hard to read Matt's feelings and internal conversations when he was struggling to not fall apart. As long as Rhys is around, he's pretty much OK but after Rhys leaves to go on tour all of his old doubts and fears come rushing back and he pretty much has an emotional breakdown – he just doesn't tell anyone how bad things are.

When Rhys finds out that Matt has been keeping things from him, he gets so angry that he has to leave for a while. This is what Matt always knew would happen, no matter how much Rhys had told him he would never leave.

Writing a book review is sometimes really difficult because when a book makes me feel things so much, I just don't have the right words to express how it made me feel. Rend had my eyes leaking more throughout the story than most I've read lately. It may be crazy but this is a sure sign that I loved it. The story was so compelling I couldn't put it down once I started it. Lucky for me it was a crappy day weather wise when I read it and other planned activities were cancelled so I was able to devote my entire day to reading without a bit of guilt!

I looked over my review for Riven (from May 2018) and see that I also said it was a very emotional story. So, while you most certainly can read and enjoy Rend without reading Riven, I recommend it because it was also a great book if you like emotional stories which I certainly do. 😊

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

Rend was an emotional rollercoaster for me. First of all, it's not about two people getting together and everything stops with their Happy Ever After. It's about what happens afterward and about how to fight for your relationship if problems are arising.

All in all, it is an emotional, angsty read in the hurt/comfort-genre which thankfully gets lighter during the second half of the book.

I'm not sure...

Parrish is a skilled writer so the story flows but I'm not sure about this book. There were moments with some impact but basically the whole book was either 'sexy times' or 'anxiety attack' with very little in between and I'm not sure that's enough.

As I sit down to write this review, I’m finding myself at a loss for words. My feelings on the book are clear: It was unbelievably gorgeous, and tender, and gut-wrenching, and I absolutely loved it. But, I’m honestly unsure how to properly convey the beauty to you guys. I don’t know how to quantify or describe in words how much I loved Rhys, or how to explain how full my heart was (and still is) when I finished reading it. Rend is not an easy book to read. In fact, it was a big old gut-punch at times, and some might find the overall tone to be sad, but I honestly didn’t. Even though it deals with tough subjects, and Matty is definitely sad more than he’s happy, I actually found the overall tone to be hopeful rather than sad. And that hope, the beauty that absolutely radiates from this book, is hugely down to Rhys.

Those who read Riven, the prequel to Rend, will of course be at least a little bit familiar with Rhys. Having not read Riven myself, this book was my first introduction to his character, so I don’t know how large a role he played there or how well readers got to know him, but I can only assume that he was as perpetually sunny and kind-hearted in that book as he is in this one. Rhys is steadfast, caring, hot as sin, and exactly what Matt needs. I loved how he was able to lift Matty up with simply his presence.

When his lips touched mine, something unspooled throughout my whole body. A bright, sweet pulse of something like possibility. Like the sun rising and driving away the shadows of night.
Since the sole voice in the book is Matt’s, there are lots of little gems like that one, showing us how vital Rhys quickly becomes in his life. When Rhys is around, Matt feels whole. Unfortunately, though, when Rhys isn’t around, Matt is a mess, which is the focus of the majority of the story. Matt’s abandonment issues and history of growing up in the foster care system have understandably shaped who he is, and even though he’s finally got a job he finds fulfilling and is proud of, he still doesn’t feel he’s truly worthy of having anything good in his life, or that anything good will last.

Roan Parrish’s writing is exemplary. She knows how to deliver a story that will grab you and not let go, and characters that lodge themselves in your heart. But, what I really loved about this book in particular was the uniqueness of the story structure itself. The prologue—which is beyond gorgeous—shows us how Matt and Rhys met and sets up the love story, but then, rather than following along with the typical romance formula, where the end game is so often the wedding or at least a proposal, chapter one opens with Matt and Rhys already married and living their lives together. And what follows is them learning what it truly means to be married, and to tie yourself to someone else.

Like I said earlier, this book really is tough at times. The weight of Matty’s sadness is a lot to bear, and feeling his struggle is hard. But there is a massive amount of love in the book as well. The power of Matty and Rhys’s love for each other is immense and fills the pages with hope. Do not miss this book, you guys! I’ve already added it to my top reads of 2018 list. <3

I thoroughly enjoyed Riven, the first book of the series by the same name, and was really excited to see where the author would take readers next. That said, I was also a little nervous after reading the blurb for Rend because we’d already met the couple in the previous book and they seemed wholly in love and without major complications. I need not be worried though. After all, this author is known for delivering characters and stories that aren’t what they seem at first glance. In Rend, Miss Parrish captured both that chemistry and intimacy between an established couple, as well as all the hiccups two people in love are bound to encounter as they adjust to life together.

As a fan of rock star romances, the Riven series was an easy choice but I really appreciate that, as in the first book, the author addresses a subject most in the trope ignore. Rend focuses on a couple dealing with the rigors of touring. Picking up just after Rhys’s solo career launches and as he prepares to set off on tour, the book explores the difficulty that comes with a couple who has to be apart for extended lengths, as well as reflecting on how these two got their start. Matt’s story definitely wasn’t what I was expecting based on the glimpses we saw in Riven, reminding readers what we see is rarely the full picture. I enjoyed seeing the story develop and Matt evolve and address his issues. I also liked that we saw how well Rhys and Matt work together in the truly difficult times, yet another topic that is rarely explored in contemporary romances. My only hang-up was the pace. Particularly at the start, the slower unveiling of the layers of problems and Matt’s hesitancy to admit his concerns drug the story down and made it a little harder to embrace his character. However, the latter part of the book changed the tone and made me appreciate the meticulous development in the first part of the story. Additionally, I can’t deny that this author’s words never fail to reach inside me and take hold. So while Rend wasn’t quite a five-star read, there’s no refuting it is one that will stick with me- particularly a few passages that were simply beautiful and incredibly poignant in their descriptions of love, nerves, and fear of loss. If you’re in the mood for a good dose of angst and can handle a melancholic character fighting to get their well-deserved, beautiful happily ever after, this is an easy recommendation.

An excellent novel. Having a romance where the two characters are already together when the book begins as the main plot rather than a mystery or other plot was new to me. This plot was excellently executed. The mental health representation was well done and the words and characters beautifully crafted.

Wow, this book was different. Riven was book 1 and I loved it. So when I found out that Matt and Rhys would be the subject of book 2, I was a bit confused. Because weren't they already together?

Because this book went back to the beginning of Matt and Rhys- before Theo and Caleb even met in Riven.

Matt and Rhys have a whirlwind romance that ends in marriage fairly quickly. What we normally get in an entire book we get in 1 chapter. Because the rest of the book deals with Matt and Rhys adjusting to married life and what it means to each of them.

Rhys has to go out on a 2 month tour to promote his new album. But Matt has literally never lived alone. He went from his mother and aunt, to his aunt, to the foster system, to various roommates who shared the rent. And now he is totally alone. That will mess with a guy.

Matt broke my heart. This guy needed love so badly. But when he truly got it, he thought it would disappear. Watching him spiral down and not asking for help or telling anyone how bad he was.

And while Rhys was unaware, I think he also had his head in the sand a bit. He didn't want to think anything could be wrong, because he didn't want to lose what he had.

I really enjoyed this different take on a love story. Instead of ending with a marriage, this book starts with it. Because isn't that where life really changes?

As always, Ms. Parrish write beautiful prose. I could feel Matt's despair. To me, Rhys wasn't as fleshed out as a character, but I think that the author just writes broken men better.

If you are looking for something different, but really well written, pick up Rend. I highly recommend Riven as well.

We met Matty and Rhys in RIVEN. Since they were married then already I didn't expect that we'd get a story about them. Little did I know how hurt and desperate the quiet Matty was. His childhood trauma made it impossible for him to believe that somebody could love him unconditionally, and that's what Rhys did.

They married after a few months of dating, and while the love between them was undoubtedly there, they didn't know each other enough, that they could settle into their life together and not have let it be affected by their respective pasts. Storm clouds start to appear, when Rhys, a musician whose star is rising, leaves to go on a two months tour and Matty stays behind. All of a sudden the shy, introverted beautiful young man has to deal with his demons and doubts about pretty much everything except their love for one another.

I wandered through the empty house as if I might find Rhys in a cupboard or under a chair like a misplaced book.

Rhys is a fixer, his sunny disposition finds something good in everything and everyone. His frustration and fear are overwhelming when he realizes that he can't help or fix Matt.

There were some incredibly angsty and emotional parts in REND, some made me hurt for Matty so much that I got choked up. He was so hungry for Rhys's love, but his abandonment issues made it impossible for him to enjoy what he had at first. Rhys did everything he could, this big, sweet, patient guy who loved his husband with his whole being.

“Am I your real life person?” I blurted, leaning my head back against the couch.
“You’re my everything person.”

There was a lot of sex in this book and while I'm usually all for some dirty, hot boy-on-boy lovin' I found myself skimming those parts at some point. There was also an exorbitant amount of "I love yous" which I only realized later, that they had a purpose. Rhys just really needed to hammer it into Matt's head by repeating it over and over again.

Healing went both ways - Rhys always wanted a relationship like his parents had, but until Matt none of his previous relationships wanted to be serious. Matt was made for Rhys - finally he could shower his love on someone who soaked it up like a sponge and returned his feelings.

"...it was like I had to break apart the universe and remake it as one where I could love you more."

When you grow up in a steady home you can forget that some people aren't that lucky. It's definitely good that you can and nobody should feel guilty about it. But at the same time a reminder that other people may need help because of their childhood will put the things, we whine about, into perspective. I didn't mean to get all philosophical on you but REND definitely resonated with me, because it showcases the damage a child with a negligent and unloving parent can sustain. Matt is that child and he was lucky to find somebody with an endless capacity to love and the patience of a saint.

I loved how Theo and Matt's friendship grew and turned into something special. And Caleb proved to be an amazing friend to Rhys, somebody who provided the insight his friend couldn't see because he was too close to the issue.

"I’m saying Matt has had a rough go of things and never dealt with them. And then you came along. Big old beast of sunshine and plans and charisma and a steady damn hand. And he fell in love with you. And suddenly Matt— with all that shit in his past— was hanging out with you all the time. Where do you think that shit went? It didn’t disappear. It didn’t transform from pain to joy like water to fucking wine, Nyland.”

Roan Parrish's writing is really special and beautiful. It was something I loved in the previous installment and my admiration for her art has only been cemented in this one. Personally I loved RIVEN a little bit more story-wise, however, Rhys and Matt were wonderful characters and I am definitely looking forward to reading RAZE. I wonder who that will be about?

Rend is a very tough book for me to review. One thing for sure, this book has stayed with me for a few days. Roan Parrish always delivers an emotional ride and Rend did not disappoint. That being said, I don't think this book will appeal to everyone.

Matt and Rhys are a committed couple (loved that about this book -- it felt so fresh). Matt spends a lot of time thinking that he just can't believe Rhys is his and vice versa. When Rhys goes on tour and Matt is alone, this thought pattern spirals into something dark and his demons come calling. It's a gradual descent into a bad place for him, and Roan Parrish plays it out perfectly. It is dark and there were definite crack-your-heart-open moments throughout.

It takes a while for Rhys to catch onto Matt's distress, and when he does he doesn't quite understand it. But the love between Rhys and Matt is very strong and they start to work through it. I was left feeling like they had only begun the process of healing at the end of the book.

I did enjoy Matt's growing friendship with Theo, and the end was really quite sweet. I adored the deep emotions I felt while reading this book.

That being said, I did have some issues with some "stuff" that nagged at me. There was quite a bit of repetition of the theme of ownership (which I did get -- it still felt a bit overdone) and I don't believe I'm going to say this, I also thought there was too much sex in the book. It just felt like they self-medicated with sex and maybe that was the intent. For me, it was more like eating a big box of chocolates and getting to the point where I don't want to even see a chocolate again. Maybe that's a bit extreme, but for me, it was just too much. It was super hot for sure, but I would have been happy with a little less.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I'm looking forward to more in this series. This book can be read as a standalone, but if you want to know more about Caleb and Theo, definitely pick up Riven.

An ARC was provided for review.